Renee Zellweger scored the best actress Bafta for her turn as Judy Garland. Photo / AP
Renee Zellweger scored the best actress Bafta for her turn as Judy Garland. Photo / AP
Gut-wrenching World War I epic 1917 was the big winner at the British Academy Film Awards — but Kiwi Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit remains a contender with the critics.
Sam Mendes' drama won seven awards including best picture and best director, pushing aside hotly tipped American contenders Joker, The Irishman and Once Upon a Time ... in America at a ceremony overshadowed by criticism of the nominees' lack of diversity.
Director Mendes based 1917 on his grandfather's wartime experiences.
Director Sam Mendes poses with the Best Director award for 1917. Photo / AP
1917 was also named best British film and won the cinematography nod — Roger Deakins' fifth win in that category. It also won for production design, sound and visual effects.
Joaquin Phoenix was named best actor for Joker, and Renee Zellweger took the best actress prize for the Judy Garland biopic Judy.
Waititi won for best-adapted screenplay for Jojo Rabbit, beating fellow Kiwi Anthony McCarten for his The Two Popes screenplay.
Falling two days after Britain left the European Union, the evening couldn't avoid the subject of Brexit.
"We know it's been a hard week for you guys and it's very nice to take a little bit of your gold, back home — where it belongs," joked Waititi as he collected his prize.
Andy Serkis, star of The Lord of the Rings and Planet of the Apes and the maestro of motion-capture acting, was honoured for his outstanding British contribution to cinema.
Victory at the Baftas is often a good predictor for success at the Oscars, being held next Monday. Like the Oscars, the British awards have struggled to become less male and white.
No women were nominated as best director for the seventh year running, and all 20 nominees in the lead and supporting performer categories were whi
Phoenix slammed the lack of diversity in his acceptance speech, saying it sent "a very clear message to people of colour that 'You're not welcome here."'
Actor Joaquin Phoenix poses with his award for Best Actor for the film Joker. Photo / AP
Awards organisers called it "disappointing" that there were no performers of colour among the acting nominees, who are chosen by 6500 academy members who work in the British and international film industry.
The rising star award — the one trophy decided by the public — went to black British actor Micheal Ward.
British star Cynthia Erivo, who is Oscar-nominated for her role as abolitionist Harriet Tubman in Harriet but was snubbed by Britain's Academy, declined an invitation to perform at the ceremony in protest.
The British Academy has promised to review its voting procedures.
Presenting the best-director award, Australian actress Rebel Wilson quipped that she could never achieve what the nominees did: "I just don't have the balls."
Scarlett Johansson, a best-actress nominee for Marriage Story, said the lack of recognition for female directors was disappointing.
Brad Pitt was named best supporting actor for Once Upon a Time ... in America.
He didn't attend, but sent a jokey acceptance speech, read out by his co-star Margot Robbie.
"Hey Britain — heard you just became single. Welcome to the club."
Laura Dern was named best supporting actress for Marriage Story. She noted that her mother, Dianne Ladd, had won the same prize in 1975, when Dern was 6, for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.
Britain's Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge arrive at the Royal Albert Hall. Photo / AP
Bong Joon-ho's Korean-language drama Parasite was named best foreign-language film and also took the prize for best original screenplay.
Organisers set out to make the awards ceremony carbon neutral for the first time. The red carpet was made from recycled fibres. Instead of the goody bags guests got a "gifting wallet" made from recycled plastic and containing vouchers.
The post-awards dinner featured sustainably sourced food, including a vegan option.
Phoenix, a lifelong vegan, joined an animal welfare protest in London before the ceremony. The activists unfurled a banner on Tower Bridge declaring "Factory farming destroys our planet. Go vegan."
